Europe: the Hollande strategy

François Hollande, boosted by the war in Mali, plunged into European affairs this week; first with a major speech before the European Parliament in Strasbourg and now with a European summit in Brussels. Can he chart a middle ground between the UK and Germany? Also on the menu, layoffs continue unabated in France and unions are once again calling on the Socialist government to come to the rescue.

A graduate of Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University, he was a journalist in New York for ten years before joining FRANCE 24 in 2009. He is specialised in French politics, Africa and the Middle East.